5 Unexpected Things You'll Find in Chef Jacques Pepin's Fridge

Yesterday we told you that chef Jacques Pepin, a.k.a. Godfather of La Technique, keeps beer next to a jar of truffles in his fridge, 'So that when someone asks if he can have a beer, I can tell him, 'Help yourself, the beer is next to the truffles.'" Want to know what else Pepin keeps on hand at all times? We asked the chef what we'd be surprised to find in his refrigerator, and what he does with it.

"I love hoisin sauce with eggplant. I thinly slice an eggplant lengthwise, salt it, and bake it in the oven until done. Then I serve it on an arugula salad dressed with hoisin, sesame oil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a little Tabasco."

"I use garlic paste with oysters. I poach fresh oysters in a little white wine and garlic paste for a few seconds. The mixture is then finished with fresh unsalted butter."

"There is nothing like a beer batter, which I make by mixing 1 1/2cups of flour and a can of beer. To this batter I add coarsely cutapples, and I deep-fry spoonfuls of the mixture into deliciousfritters, which I serve with granulated sugar. If you are lucky enoughto have squash flowers, dip them in the batter and fry them in a coupleof tablespoons of oil, turning them once." 4. "Pressed caviar is great formed into thin disks between pieces ofplastic wrap. At serving time, I cut it and serve it on top of atartare of tuna or salmon."

"As for tortillas, there is nothing better to use for pizza forlunch. I put a bit of olive oil on both sides of the tortillas and thentop them with tomato, arugula, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, andpepper. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees and enjoy."

You may be less surprised by the rest of the contents of the chef's fridge. But hey, it's Jacques Pepin, so you still probably want to know:

"On the shelves in the door of my refrigerator, I always have good eggs from a nearby farm, many different types of sauces, cornichons, sesame oil, at least two kinds of mustard, yeast, butter, tomato paste, and truffle oil."

"I have four shelves and three drawers in the main part of my refrigerator. The top shelf holds milk, juice, beer, mayonnaise, ketchup, and the jar of truffles."

"The second shelf has salad greens, yogurt, pickled onions, pressed caviar, and a jar of unknown stuff. (I always have a few jars that have been in there for so long that nobody knows what is in them.)"

"Under the shelf is a drawer containing four types of cheese--Gruyere, blue, Parmesan, and a Camembert type--in addition to some dried sausage, a package of smoked fish (like salmon), and tortillas."

"The third shelf has leftovers from one, two, or even three meals, chopped herbs, a jar of peppers, and three or four types of jam (apricot, raspberry, etc.)."

"The bottom shelf holds pate, two or three types of olives, cooked beans, garlic oil, and other seasoned oils."